


What went wrong

by curiousscientistkae



Category: RWBY
Genre: Gen, teen only for some crusing with qrow and coco
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-14
Updated: 2015-12-14
Packaged: 2018-05-06 15:10:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5421671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/curiousscientistkae/pseuds/curiousscientistkae
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Yang watched him attacked her. But everyone else has seen differently. The saw her attack him. Yang is confsued and does not know what to do.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What went wrong

**Author's Note:**

> If you like leave a kudo or better yet a comment/review to tell me how to improve or what you like.

Yang huffs a sigh of relief. She has just won the singles battle. She has made a name for not only herself but for her team as well. Wiping away some sweat that has formed on her forehead she tells her opponent who fought so hard and nearly bested her ‘Better luck next time’ before happily walking off.

“There is not going to be a next time blondie!” Mercury growls.

Yang stops in her tracks at his voice. He is threatening her. Snapping her head around she sees her opponent flying through the air, his leg outstretched and posed to hit Yang. Instinct kicks in. Yang reacts without thinking. The muscles in her arm move towards her assailant. In a split second, in the blink of an eye, Yang’s fist makes contact with Mercury’s leg. She feels and hears his bones shatter beneath her curled up fingers. The grey-haired boy falls hard to the ground and cries out in sheer pain. Yang stares at him as he rocks himself. The echoes of boos and gasps fill the stadium. Yang believes it’s because of Mercury’s cheap last shot.

 “Ugh, my leg.” Mercury moans. “My leg!”

“That’s what you get you little-Huh?“ Yang stops when she sees eight armored military men circle her.

“Yang Xiao Long stand down!” One shouts as they raise their guns at her.

Yang looks at the men. Shouldn’t they be doing this to Mercury? He was the one that attacked her. She only reacted in self-defense. Yang turns towards one of the men looking at her, seeking answers. “What? Why?”

“Mercury!” Emerald shouts. Yang watches as Mercury’s brightly colored haired teammate runs over towards him.

“Why’d she do that?” Mercury asks in pain and disbelief. “Why’d she attack me?!?”

Emerald gives a nasty looks at Yang. More and more questions enter Yang’s mind. Why was everyone going after _her_ and siding with _him?_ Did they not see him lunge at her? Maybe she shouldn’t have gone as far as firing her weapon at his leg but Yang wasn’t thinking. She just reacted. Could they really blame her that much for trying to protect herself?

Something catches her eye. The blonde looks up as sees on the screen the replay of the last few moments. There she is, walking away from a down Mercury. Surely it will show the truth. Surely it will show that he attacked her.

No. That is not what takes place. Instead Yang watches in horror herself, unprovoked, firing at Mercury. His screams of pain fill the stadium. Yang cannot believe her own two eyes. Had Mercury not attacked her? She clearly remembers him threatening her. She clearly remembers him flying through the air to harm Yang. Had that all been a trick of her mind. No. It could not be. How could it?

Then she sees them. Her teammates. Even from far away Yang can see their expressions of horror and disbelief. Ruby is holding her face and rocking. Fear and confusion is written all over her younger sister’s face. Weiss even covers her mouth, unable to say anything while Blake just stares at her, not able to understand what just happened.

Yang’s mind begins to spin. _What just happened?_ She thinks. Her heart beats like a drum against her chest and feels like it could explode or come out of her at any moment. Her hands begin to shake. Yang presses them against her sides to stop them. Even her lungs will not listen to her. Her breaths come out fast and sharp. The lack oxygen and unable to comprehend everything causes the world become one huge blur of colors, shapes, and sounds. For a moment the world turns into a void of nothingness. The next thing Yang knows she is in the arms of one of the men around her. He gently pushes her back to her feet but keeps a strong grip on her arm. Yang wants to say something but she no longer has a voice. It is trapped in her throat.

Another soldier roughly grabs Yang’s wrist, forces them behind her back, and slaps on a pair of handcuffs. They dig into her skin and only bury themselves deeper as she struggles for comfort. Yang lets out a small cry of pain as the metal bites her skin, freeing her trapped voice.

“He attacked me! I didn’t _do_ anything wrong!” Yang pleads.

“Say that to the video tape. We all saw you blow out his leg.” A solider answers.

“I-I-“ Yang’s voice cracks. They are right. There is proof she attacked him for no reason. The screen is now on her as she looks around the stadium. Everyone is shouting at her, booing at her, there are even objects being thrown at her. Yang desperately looks for her friends again. Hot tears are running down her face when she spots them. “You have to believe me! I didn’t do it! I-I-It has to be a trick!”

“Liar! You did that on purpose.” Mercury accuses. He leans against Emeralds whose eyes are still shooting daggers at Yang. Everyone’s eyes expect for those of her teammates and friends throw sharp daggers at her. There is nothing she can do. The soldier jabs her in the back with a gun, telling her to move. Yang does not resist.

 _The innocent never run_.

Those words echo in her head. She cannot run, she cannot fight. This will just make people think she did in fact purposely attack Mercury. She also needs to regain control of her mind again. It is still running faster than Ruby. Only then can she think and come up with a plan. Hopefully wherever she is going her friends or family can see her. She just needs someone to talk to. Someone who will believe her story. Someone to bring her out of the darkness of hopelessness that is now creeping into her mind.

\---

Yang is broken. So far no one believes her story. Everywhere she turned while being escorted to the dingy prison cell she now resides in people gave her dark looks. Called her names. A liar. A cheater. A good-for-nothing huntress. There were much worse things she heard while she walked. It did not help that screens were all over the place. News stations replayed her clip of her attacking Mercury over and over like a broken record. This only made the blonde feel worse about what transpired.

Now alone with only her thoughts Yang tries calming herself. _Come on Yang. Relax._ She thinks. Yang rubs her wrist. The handcuffs are still on her but thankfully one of the soldiers switched them around so Yang’s arms are in front of her. Least now she has a little more freedom. Still her wrist ache from the metal digging into them before. They ripped pieces of her gloves and those bare patches are red.

 _Okay Yang. Think what happened. How are there two conflicting thoughts?_ _You clearly saw him fly at you but why does the video show him just standing there?_ _Were you wrong?_

Yang groans and grabs her head. How can she be wrong? That memory is so vivid in her mind. Crystal clear. She knows what she saw. But the cameras never left her and Mercury. How is it she saw one thing but not something else?

“Ms. Xiao Long?” A voice says.

Yang looks up. One of the guards who is stationed outside now stands in front of her cell. He jesters towards the door. “There are some people here who would like to see you.”

Ruby, Weiss, and Blake enter the room. Yang jumps to her feet when she sees her sister and friends. They all still have a look of shock on their faces. Ruby runs over towards her sister. She reaches her arms through the bars and hugs Yang as best she can. Her sister does the same, having a little more trouble doing so with the handcuffs on her, and starts to gently rub the top of Ruby’s head as her younger sister sniffles.

“Yang…” Weiss says. Yang looks at Weiss and Blake. Both are waiting for an explanation.

“You have to believe me when I say I did not attack him unprovoked.” Yang truthfully says.

“But the video. We all saw with our own two eyes you just flat out attacking him.”

“That is not what _I_ saw. Honest. I swear to god that he attacked me first. I don’t know how the video and my mind remember two different things.”

“Yang how can your mind see something so different? He was _down_. You knocked his aura all the way to zero. Even if he did attack you, which I don’t see how with no aura left, why would you snap his leg in two?” Blake questions her partner.

Yang lets out a frustrated sigh. She can tell Blake and Weiss want to believe her but they can’t. “It’s called instinct, fight or flight. I reacted without thinking fearing my life was in danger. He told me ‘there won’t be a next time blondie’ in a menacing tone.”

“He…He didn’t say anything Yang.” Ruby sniffles. She breaks away from her older sister and wipes away her tears. “He didn’t say anything.”

 _Not you too Ruby._ “Come on guys. You know I would not do something like that! Why would I anyway? I won! We won! Why would I do something like that?”

“We don’t know Yang. We were hoping you would have some answer for us.” Blake answers.

“And we no longer have the title of being champions. It was taken away after the stunt you pulled.” Weiss adds on.

“I DID NOT DO IT!” Yang snaps, eyes red and flames sparking up in her hair. Everyone backs away. Even the guard momentarily raises his gun out of fright before lowering it, remembering she is behind bars and her weapon was confiscated. They are all afraid of her and what she can do. Even if her teammates don’t fully believe she attacked Mercury the seeds of doubt have been planted and the possibly that Yang can and will attack unprovoked grips them all. Yang grits her teeth together, relaxing her body. If she is going get anyone to believe her she cannot lose her temper. “I did not do it.” Yang repeats in a hushed tone. “I am not lying to you guys. Someone...Someone had to set me up.”

“Yang…” Ruby steps closer to her sister. Confusion clouds her silver eyes as well as hurt. It is a stab in the chest for Yang. Even if she didn’t not mean it, even if someone somehow set her up for failure, seeing Ruby hurt by those actions kills Yang inside. “We aren’t saying we don’t believe you. We want to. But we saw what happened on stage. Honestly we do not know who or what to believe in.”

Yang thinks to herself. No one else says anything. The guard walks up towards the girls.

“Your time is up. We three must return to the fairgrounds or the stadium. You cannot stay here.” He Yang’s informs teammates.

Ruby gives her sister one last hug through the bars. The two sister tightly embrace each other. Neither wants to let go. Ruby looks up at her sister. “I know you can find a way to convince everyone, even get rid of our doubts. Just…don’t do anything stupid till then.”

“I promise Ruby. You be safe also.”

“Okay. Uncle Qrow is going to come in. He said he wanted to speak to you alone.”

 _Why would he want to talk to me alone?_ Yang wonders. She waves a goodbye to her friends, still heartbroken by their hurt looks, and waits for her Uncle. It is not long before the guard bring in the older man. Anger is all over his face. Yang gulps. She immediately thinks his anger is directed at her. But Qrow turns around and stares at the guard.

“I have orders from Ironwood for you to leave me and the prisoner alone. Got that?” Qrow says.

“Uh…Yes sir Mr.Branwen. Though Ironwood did not say that beforehand.” The guard stutters. 

“I just got the orders. Please leave us.”

“Yes sir!”

Both Qrow and Yang watch the guard disappear. Once the door slams shut Qrow turns his attention back at his imprisoned niece. Yang opens her mouth to explain herself and make her uncle believe she did nothing wrong but Qrow puts his hand up. Yang snaps her mouth shut.

“No excuses. One, no I was lying out my ass. Ironwood did not tell me to speak to you alone. I wanted to. Ironwood has no idea what to make of this. Two, I know that you would not do that. And I am sure by now you know that something is up.”

Yang nods as she listens to her uncle. A wave of hope and relief warms her up. Finally someone who knows that she did nothing wrong. Qrow continues speaking.

“I do not know what happened but everyone out there is going insane over it. They want blood…in a figurative way. Hopefully.”

“Can’t Ozpin do something about it?” Yang asks.

“Ozpin has his hands tied. The Haven headmaster wants you to suffer for your actions. I doubt there will be a way to prove your innocence in time.”

“Do you have any idea what they are going to do to me? Do you think Opzin is going to have me expelled from school?”

“Worse Yang, worse.”

“What do you mean?”

“Yang ‘you attacked’ a boy from another kingdom. ‘You’ did it unprovoked in what looked to be a matter of malice. They are not only calling for you never to become a huntress but for you to be banished from the kingdoms.”

For the second time today Yang’s voice becomes trapped in her throat. _Banishment?_ The word bounces around in her head as she struggles to understand. How could they want banishment for breaking a kid’s leg? Does that warrant that much of a punishment? Yang stomach flips over. The thought of never being able to see her friends or family again makes her sick. Her legs turn to jelly and Yang grabs ahold of the bars to stay on her feet.

“Whoa easy now sweetheart.” Qrow gently grabs his niece and guides to towards the floor. “We don’t want you passing out on us again. I know everything that has happened is a lot to take in.”

“Why?” Is all Yang asks when she finds her voice again.

Qrow takes a looks around the room, making sure that only he and Yang are here. Once he is sure that no one is around he turns back around. Still Qrow makes it a point to whisper. “Tensions are running high right now. This peace we have been having? It’s about to be shattered. War is coming and I don’t like the looks of it. Whatever happened out there has only thrown more oil onto a flame that I don’t think can be controlled anymore. But I will not let them banish you Yang. I won’t let you end up like—” Qrow stops short. But it’s too late. Yang’s lilac eyes widen.

“Like my mother?”

Qrow sighs. That is all Yang needs for an answer.

“Where is my father? Did he see what happened? Is he coming?”

Qrow shakes his head. “No Yang. Right now your father is trying to keep it together. He doesn’t think you would do that but I think he also is doubtful like Ruby and your friends. It’s hard to get rid of those seeds once they have been planted. But he is going to fight hard for you. He already lost two of the most important women in his life. I don’t think he can handle another lost.”

Yang shallows a hard lump. She can only imagine what her father is going through. At least it seems he is trying to keep it together this time around. At least he is trying not to fall back into that darkness he was in when Summer died.

“So there is a war coming?” Yang asks.

“I believe so yes. I can’t say much Yang. There are things that I don’t even know and somethings that I cannot tell you for your safety. But you need to know this. I know you always say ‘The innocent never run’ but sometimes they have to so they can prove they are innocent. But let me ask you a question. You know when riding a roller-coaster that moment you hit the top. What happened after?”

“Everything goes downhill.”

“Exactly. And shit is about to get real and serious. It is up to you whether or not you will go back on your saying but you have to think. Be the fall guy and watch the world burn or run to prove yourself and maybe help stop what is to come. Promise me you’ll think about it?”

Yang nods. There is a knock on the door and it slowly opens up. The guard peeks his head in. “You’re time is up sir, I am sorry to say. Everything go well?”

“Yes it did thank you. I’ll give Ironwood my best for you. I’ll try and come back later Yang. There are things that I need to do but I promise I’ll try to get to you.”

“Thanks.”

Qrow walks out of the room with the guard. Now back alone Yang thinks over everything that has happened. Closing her eyes she sees Mercury still coming at her, flying fast in the air. She can still feel his bones breaking under her fingers. Then the guards surrounded her with their guns pointed at her and the screen telling Yang something else. The images of Ruby’s, Weiss’, and Blake’s horrified faces burn into Yang’s mind.

Then there was being handcuffed and thrown into this cell. Her teammates coming in and not knowing what to believe. Yang can’t help but feel a little angry and betrayed by their lack of faith. They know her better than that. But she also can see from their eyes why they wouldn’t. The video. Their own eyes. They want to believe and are tying but at the same time they can’t. Only time will tell if they will side with her fully.

Then there is her uncle. Angry over things getting worse. He fully believes her and knows something is up and someone played dirty. Yang shutters at the thought of being exiled from the kingdoms. What is she going to do if that happens? Least her father is fighting through this and will do his best to protect her. But then there is her uncle’s near slip of the tongue about her mother. What did he mean by that?

“Yang?” A voice says.

The blonde opens her eyes to see a pair of dark brown eyes looking over a pair of sunglasses. Coco. Why on remnant would she be here? With her legs feeling surer of themselves Yang stands to face the older girl. She has a very serious look on her face.

“Hi Coco. What are you doing here?” Yang asks.

“You said that he attacked you but the video proves otherwise, right?” The older girl asks.

“Yeah. Do you believe me or no?”

“Oh I believe you. One-hundred percent. There is not a doubt in my mind you are speaking the truth. Because I think the same thing happened to me, sort of. You remember my fight? When I was up against Emerald and Mercury?”

“Yes I do.”

Like with Qrow, Coco whispers so the guard—who is in the room not really paying attention anyway—does not hear. “When Yastuhashi got knocked out I was in the forest area because of Emerald. While I was in there, you guys could not see it, but I _saw_ Yastuhasi walk behind me. I thought he took out Mercury and we only had Emerald left. But then I heard Port’s voice. I looked up and saw Yastuhasi be knocked out and when I turned around he was not there. I was scared shitless. My mind was playing tricks on me. I thought I was going insane. Till when I saw and heard what happened to you.”

“So are you saying Mercury somehow made an illusion?”

“Maybe, maybe not. Someone on his team or maybe even someone else are pulling the strings. I would not trust anyone on his team.”

“I never did. I always got an uneasy feeling from them. Least now I got someone who has had a similar experience.”

“Yes. I thought you’d like to know that. So you going to do anything about it?”

Yang shrugs. “I am not sure really. My mind is starting to short-circuit from being overloaded by everything.”

“I don’t blame you but you better think fast. The air is getting heavier and something is about to happen. I need to go back to my teammates. That is all I wanted to say. See you around Yang.”

 Yang sits back down in her cell. Coco has given Yang the information she wanted. She is not going insane. What she saw was real to her but at the same time it was all an illusion. Kind of like when she fought Neo. The smaller girl made an illusion that she and Roman were still there. When remembers seeing ‘Neo’ and ‘Roman’ shatter into a million pieces before showing themselves flying away. Could she be the root cause of this? Could Roman be pulling the strings somehow behind bars? Too many questions for one day. Yang’s body has grown tired from the day’s events. Lying down Yang lets herself slip into sleep. There is nothing better to do.

A shout startles Yang awake. More shouts and bangs fill the room as Yang jumps to her feet. Then dead silence. Yang becomes nervous as the doorknob jiggles. Someone is trying to enter. They must have taken out the guards. Handcuffed and without a weapon Yang is defenseless. Sure she can use her legs to kick but she is horrible at that. Maybe she could out run whoever is behind the door if they have come to harm her. But she is in a jail cell. There is no place to run. Yang is trapped with no escape in sight.

 _I **cannot** catch a break today! _ Yang thinks as she backs up against the wall, waiting for whoever is behind the door to come in.

The door flies open and a dark haired woman enters. Yang’s fear quickly turns into anger. “You!” She growls.

“Yes me. I know I probably came at the worst possible time but there is no time to be angry or talk. I know a lot has happened and that Qrow has told you a little bit about what is to come and that’s why I am here to break you out.” The woman says.

“Oh so now after seventeen years this is what you decide to save me from. Not a pack of Grimm when I was five!”

“Well this time we got a _horde_ of them coming for Vale.” The woman quickly swipes at the bars of the cell with her large sword, cutting them all in two. She steps into Yang’s cell and unlocks the handcuffs around Yang’s wrist.

“Well I can’t do much without Ember Celica. They kind of took her away. If you know everything Raven then I think you would hav-“

The woman, Raven, holds up two golden colored circles, shutting Yang up. The blonde grumbles a ‘thank you’ and takes her weapon back. It feels nice to have them back on her wrist. “Even if you did just break me out what makes you think I am going to come with you? I kind of don’t want to add more guilt to my name.”

“God you are as stubborn as me. Yang just think for a moment. I know you don’t want to seem guiltier but someone has made a move that might lead us to checkmate. Yang I do not want to force you to come but I will if I have to. Think about what is to come and what everyone has been saying to you today.”

Yang does.

_We don’t know what to believe in._

_Sometimes they have to so they can prove they are innocent._

_The air is getting heavier and something is about to happen._

Yang sighs, realizing if she is going to prove herself innocent she is going to need to show others that she is. And by doing that she has to show that Mercury and his team are up to something. But first there is the issue with the Grimm,

“Fine but don’t expect me to start calling you ‘Mom’.”

“I would be surprised if you did. Come on now, let’s go.”


End file.
